Doncaster boxer Josh Padley set for biggest night of career on Wembley undercard
Exactly two months today Josh Padley will be stepping out in front 90,000 fans for the biggest night of his boxing life.
The Auckley lightweight has won the golden ticket of performing on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois bill at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
The main event is the all-British heavyweight title tussle but Padley's date with fellow unbeaten fighter Mark Chamberlain is part of a stacked undercard with their duel seeing the WBC Silver strap on the line.
For Padley, who holds an unblemished 14-fight record, it represents a huge step up having mostly appeared in small hall shows since turning pro.
Speaking to the Free Press, the 28-year-old recalls the evening he received the call.
"I couldn't believe it. It was a Tuesday about 6pm when I got the phone call. There wasn't too much detail other than the fact that the fight is in London and there's a massive undercard.
"There were then talks and the deal didn't actually get done until 11.15pm. They then said 'just so you know Josh you need to be in London for the press conference at 3pm tomorrow' so it was a strange and quick turn of events."
Fighting in such an iconic and vast arena will be a career highlight for Padley. He says: "The press conference room for this event was probably bigger than some of the rooms I've boxed in!
"When I get inside Wembley it's going to be something completely new to me. I've been to watch fights at venues with capacities of about 13,000, 14,000 - so when you look at this, it holds 90,000 or so. It's going to be absolutely insane. But it's about not getting swallowed up by the atmosphere and keeping focused despite all the adrenaline.
"I've always told myself that once you get in that ring you forget everything. It's just you and the opponent. It's down to you once you're in there."
Padley, who trains out of Stefy Bull's academy gym, is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to pull off what many would consider a shock against a tough and established opponent in Chamberlain.
He's taking extended time off from his work as a sub-contractor in the construction industry. He's effectively using the build-up as a trial run for what it would be like if he were to be a full-time athlete - something he says is very much the aim.
"Normally when you get opportunities like this they don't give you too much notice and they sort of force your hand a little bit," he says.
"They obviously want their guy to have as much an advantage as possible and so lads like me are almost forced to, to be able to get a shot on TV. So when they said you've got 12 weeks I thought 'I can actually go for this'.
"I'll be taking eight weeks off work. I'll be training twice a day, I've got a nutritionist coming on board, a physio based in Doncaster coming on board.
"This is what I love to do. It's not an easy road the way I'm doing it - these small shows alongside full-time work, and having to sort ticket sales as well. Sometimes you don't earn anything. It's not easy but this is a massive opportunity to potentially get to where I want to be in just one fight, if I win this one.
"I'm excited as this is the first time I'll be able to fully focus on the boxing. I've achieved what I have so far without it, what am I going to be like with it? I'm looking forward to seeing what I can achieve."